He said the death penalty is applicable to special criminal cases with the aim of preventing and admonishing crimes, but not for those criminals who are juveniles, pregnant women or women nurturing under-three children.

It is fair to say that we're one of the few nations that allow for the juvenile death penalty. Even Vietnam wont' join us on this...

Back in 1980, military coup leaders condemned Kim to death after he was convicted of treason in a court-martial. But under pressure from the international community, they suspended his sentence and freed him in 1982.

No wonder the freedom fighter, who rose from death row to the presidency, did not allow any execution during his five-year term in office that ended in February 2003. None of the convicts on the death row, now numbering 59, has since been executed.

Now, lawmakers are moving to abolish the death penalty itself

It's not probable that Korea will get rid of the death penalty any time soon. There is stronger public support for the death penalty in Korea than in America.

On Tuesday, Silver said public hearings on the death penalty would be held Dec. 15 in New York City and Jan. 25 in Albany. Since the death penalty was reinstated in New York in 1995, seven men have been sentenced to die. None were executed. While Silver is a proponent of the death penalty, many of his Democratic colleagues in the chamber are opposed.